BEETHOVEN Piano Trios (Smetana Trio; Trio Sōra)
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Genre:
Chamber
Label: Naïve
Magazine Review Date: 12/2020
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 190
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: V7085
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Piano Trios, Movement: Complete Piano Trios |
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer
Trio Sora |
Genre:
Chamber
Label: Supraphon
Magazine Review Date: 12/2020
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 132
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: SU4288-2
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Piano Trios, Movement: No. 3 in C minor, Op. 1/3 |
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer
Smetana Trio |
Piano Trios, Movement: No. 7 in B flat, Op. 97, 'Archduke' |
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer
Smetana Trio |
Piano Trios, Movement: No. 5 in D, Op. 70/1, 'Ghost' |
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer
Smetana Trio |
Piano Trios, Movement: No. 6 in E flat, Op. 70/2 |
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer
Smetana Trio |
Author: David Threasher
When Beethoven decided in 1795 to announce himself to his adopted Vienna as a published composer, it was not with a symphony or a set of string quartets – in which Mozart and Haydn remained pre-eminent – but with three piano trios. His Op 1 duly demonstrated that he, perhaps uniquely among his contemporaries, was able to imbibe the example of those two great composers and create music that recognisably followed the traditions they had mastered but with a voice that was wholly his own.
Two and a quarter centuries on, Trio Sōra announce themselves with a debut recording of Beethoven’s six original numbered piano trios. Their name comes from a Native American word meaning ‘a bird that sings as it takes flight’ and they trained with an impressive list of mentors, having initially come together at the Paris Conservatoire. They have been commended for ‘the boldness and clarity of their interpretations’, and these are attributes that mark out their debut recording. Tempos are comparably swift in faster movements but accuracy of attack and articulation vividly convey the high spirits of this music.
They shoot up the ‘Mannheim rocket’ that launches Op 1 No 1, instantly setting out their manifesto: a palpable joy in the interplay the music requires, virtuosity ever at the service of shaping and structure, with a wide range of dynamics including some whispered pianissimos. Slow movements are unsentimental but without being hurried. They distil a potent intensity in the troubled Sturm und Drang of the C minor Trio, Op 1 No 3, although they are not neglectful of the motivic concentration of an outwardly lighter movement such as the finale of the G major Trio, Op 1 No 2. The focused sound as recorded in the wood-lined Salle de Musique at La-Chaux-de-Fonds conspires with the trio’s acutely considered music-making in a recording that truly grabs the attention.
The Smetana Trio have a pedigree going back to 1934, their current incarnation comprising three big names in Czech music, including, on cello, Jan Páleniček, son of the trio’s founding pianist. They open their account of the C minor Trio a notch slower than the Sōra, in a Prague studio acoustic that offers a degree more air around the sound. This rather suits the grander conception of the three late trios, especially the expansive Archduke. The central movement of the D major Trio, Op 70 No 1, which gives the work its Ghost sobriquet, provides a useful comparison, the Smetana efficiently communicating the mystery behind its tremolandos and sforzandos, while the Sōra, a whole minute and a half slower, fully subscribe to the Grand Guignol drama of the movement, delivering each new shock with ghoulish glee.
In the neglected E flat Trio, Op 70 No 2, the Sōra are comparable in clarity and blend with the Beethoven Trio Bonn (AVI-Music, 9/20). Perhaps, though, it is the Archduke where contrasts of approach are starkest. The Sōra are, once again, sprightlier than the Smetana in the Scherzo, although the insertion of a breath between each four-bar phrase at the opening gives it a distinct gait rather than a flow. Perhaps surprising is the Sōra’s quizzical approach to the opening phrases of the finale, only gradually building up to tempo. Here the Smetana are more persuasive; but so are the Van Baerle Trio in their recent intégrale, the tempo up a notch or two, the awkward turns more comfortably under the fingers of Hannes Minnaar than those of either Pauline Chennais for the Sōra or Jitka Čechová for the Smetana.
The Van Baerle also offer a well-stocked survey, with the six trios of the Sōra’s set, plus Trio No 4 (the Gassenhauer), originally for clarinet, cello and piano, as well as the unpublished trios, variation sets, arrangements and the Triple Concerto. The debut of Trio Sōra is an impressive achievement for this young ensemble and is worthy of three hours of any Beethovenian’s time. The Van Baerle Trio’s cycle, though, with a headier mix of acuity and intimacy, is now available in a five-CD box at a keenly competitive price. Listening in parallel to the two newcomers alongside the Van Baerle and the Beethoven Trio Bonn has offered four different, complementary and equally compelling aspects on these cherishable masterworks.
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
SubscribeGramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.